


Strange Magic

by mandathegreat



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Clothed Sex, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Magic, Oral Sex, Quidditch, Romance, Triwizard Tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:19:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9299783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandathegreat/pseuds/mandathegreat
Summary: In which Viktor Nikiforov is the Pride of Durmstrang and the Seeker for Russia, Yuuri is Hufflepuff’s Hero and a Hot Mess, and there is a Triwizard Tournament, which is a shame because Yuuri really needs to play Quidditch this year, and he doesn't really have time to fall in love.





	

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Thank you so so much for your comments and kudos. What a way to enter a fandom lol. I'm happy you all enjoy it--it's making my little Slytherin heart grow three times its size <3

For not the first time in his near-eighteen years, Katsuki Yuuri wished he could live a normal wizard’s life. His childhood seemed pretty normal--growing up in Japan to magical parents, a witch sister, and following Quidditch games live on the magic mirror in Yuutopia, his family’s magical onsen. 

Except, his life was uprooted quickly when the onsen closed and his family moved to England. Yuuri was eleven years old when his letter from Hogwarts appeared, in both English and Japanese, telling him he would be admitted into the wizarding school, and if he needed help speaking a new language, there were plenty of charms that could be of use to him.

Yuuri was grateful when he was on his way to Hogwarts. In their new ‘flat’ in wizarding London, he didn’t have the room to practice Quidditch maneuvers with his two feet on the ground instead of in the air--he wasn’t allowed to fly yet. Mari was adjusting to their new lives differently--she was older than him and less shy, practicing spells and helping their father with the new restaurant, their mother back in the kitchen making katsudon that you could taste came from magical hands. But Yuuri, he was seemingly alone in a whole new world.

Mari ran off quickly when they boarded the Hogwarts Express, going who knows where. Yuuri was very alone, and his soon to be twelve year old self didn’t quite know what to do.

Then he met Phichit. Phichit was a new student too, and also pretty new to England. The Thai student pulled him into a train box that was empty, and immediately took a picture of him. Yuuri thought that it was strange, but seven years later and he was used to it--Phichit took a picture of anything he deemed important, or even just interesting.

They talked the whole way to Scotland, Phichit not caring if Yuuri sputtered over unfamiliar English words as he tried to explain his entire life to his new best friend.

He watched as the new students were sorted into houses. Yuuri’s mind began to act up then--what if the hat didn’t know what to do with him, what if it decided he wasn’t good enough for--

“Katsuki Yuuri?” A woman, Headmistress McGonagall, asked, and Yuuri stumbled as he made his way up to the hat. He missed his sister getting sorted. She looked at him from the Hufflepuff table, sitting next to a frantically waving Phichit, camera in hand.

The hat was placed on his head. And it spoke in his mind. _A bright boy, yes. And there is some bravery in you to come. But is that bravery worth more than your ambition? There is a lot of that. But, no. You want to be liked, you want to be happy. And most of all, You want to belong. Well, that settles that._

“Hufflepuff!” The hat rang out, and he bounded over to his table and was greeted with open arms.

After that, Yuuri prayed and hoped to live out his time at Hogwarts like a normal student would.

But, no. Life for him had to be a little more than simple.  On his first day of flying lessons, Katsuki Yuuri was made the Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. It wasn’t his fault. Phichit’s broom went out of control, sending his friend rapidly into the air. Yuuri followed without thinking about anything but the safety of his friend. Up, up, up he zoomed like he’d been flying his whole life instead of walking, taking a sharp nosedive as Phichit fell, going faster and faster towards the ground until Yuuri caught the Thai boy, and scooped him up on the broom, landing with ease. He received fifty points for Hufflepuff that day, and student’s began to refer to him as “Hufflepuff’s Hero.”

Yuuri grew red at the praise every time. He just wanted to save his friend. If he didn’t have Phichit, who would talk to him about Quidditch?

…

Life went on in it’s own spectacular way: By the time Yuuri was a fourth year, he’d caught the Snitch in almost every game he played, and helped Phichit make his way onto the team as a Chaser.

He’d also, according to who you asked:

-Ridden a Hippogriff named Susan, who was so taken with him that she often followed him around the school grounds

-Caused a minor emergency by chucking a Mandrake Root out of the greenhouse in a disastrous attempt to make it stop crying.

-Taught the house elves how to cook his mother’s delicious Katsudon.

-Accidentally created a sleeping draught so strong it put his entire class to sleep for three days.

And, the one no one could forget: He punched the exchange student, JJ Leroy, in the face.

Within his first four years at Hogwarts, Katsuki Yuuri had become a legend. Yuuri didn’t quite know why--to himself he was a second rate wizard, and besides, most of those things were only half-truths: His class was asleep for a week, not three days, and he actually kicked JJ in the balls. But he completely and totally deserved it.

…

“Susan’s following you again,” Phichit warned, as he snapped a picture of the Hippogriff.

“I know,” Yuuri replied. “She’s a good girl.” She preened behind him.

The two fifth years said goodbye to the creature as they entered the castle, making their way towards the Hufflepuff common room, and then to their dorm. Yuuri and Phichit’s side of the room was covered in photographs, all moving steadily, capturing the many instances of their lives at Hogwarts. Among the pictures were posters of all the great Quidditch teams, from local British teams to the best of the national teams.

“There’s a match on right now Phichit,” Yuuri said, loading up the game on their magic mirror.

“Who’s playing?” The other asked, toeing off his shoes and sitting next to Yuuri on the bed.

“It’s a school game--Durmstrang Institute versus Beauxbatons.”

They settled in to watch the game, only to see a Seeker so beautiful that Yuuri gasped.

“Who is that, Phichit? The seeker for Durmstrang?”

“Oh! That’s Viktor Nikiforov. He’s really good, and he’s only a year older than us. There’s already talks about him joining the Russian National Team, because the age requirement is sixteen now. And-”

Phichit’s voice had faded out of Yuuri’s brain due to the image of the silver-haired seeker on the mirror’s surface. He flew through the air effortlessly, darting here and there in search of the Golden Snitch. His long hair tied up in a ponytail behind him, flowing ethereally as if he moved in slow-motion.

“--Yuuri! Yuuri, are you even listening to me?” Phichit said as he waved his hands in Yuuri’s face.

“Oh, yes. Of course I was.” Yuuri lied, badly.

Phichit rolled his eyes. “It’s okay, Yuuri. I’ll leave you two alone.” He said, gesturing to the screen as he left the room.

It wasn’t a long game. Viktor caught the Snitch in under ten minutes. And Viktor didn’t know it, but a new fan was added to his growing list.

…

Yuuri’s fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts were, unsurprisingly, still full of excitement.

In his file on Minerva McGonagall's desk were a number of reports that Yuuri:

-Got an Outstanding on every OWL he took.

-Transfigured his new barn owl into a poodle, and was unable to turn it back. Strangely, Vicchan could still fly.

-Had a Boggart that looked identical to himself.

-Soared through the air like a pixie on a broom, but tripped over his own two feet.

-Gave Susan a steak he smuggled out of the kitchen once a week.

And the most memorable, he unknowingly levitated the entire Great Hall two inches without a wand or a spell, just because the Gryffindor Seeker told him he’d never be as good as Viktor Nikiforov.

…

Needless to say, in his near-eighteen years of life, Yuuri just simply wanted some peace and quiet. His whole life had become a series of tales, and Phichit’s photo evidence didn’t help matters much. Their room had become a strange combination of moving pictures of the two of them, other students, Quidditch games, Susan and Vicchan and Phichit’s hamsters he pretended were rats so he could keep them. Among those were the moving posters of one Viktor Nikiforov, the eighteen year old Seeker for the Russian National Team, and likely the most sought after Seeker in the world for local teams upon his graduation from the Durmstrang Institute this year.

Not that Yuuri was unwanted. He had received offers from two National Quidditch teams--Team Japan, whose letter insinuated that Yuuri would be welcomed back to Japan as a Seeker with open arms, and Team England, who seemed rather desperate for a new Seeker and was just short of begging Yuuri to join. The offers felt good, but Yuuri was unsure of his skills, and wondered if he was taking the right path.

So, a little conflicted and hoping for a painless season of Quidditch and a painless NEWT year, Yuuri set out to begin his seventh year at Hogwarts.

…

Yuuri lost five points from Hufflepuff at the first dinner for swearing promptly after McGonagall announced that there would be no Quidditch season that year because of the Triwizard Tournament.

Yuuri let his anxieties get the best of him as she explained the rules and regulations of the competition. No Quidditch? He needed Quidditch! He’d been playing since he was allowed to fly, and now they’ve taken it away from him? He panicked until dinner was over, and somehow found himself back in his room with Phichit, who looked concerned, but also had a smile on his face.

“Oh, c’mon Yuuri. You can survive one year without Quidditch. And, maybe you can use the time to figure out if you really want to be a professional player. You’ve got offers. Think about them.” Phichit made a lot of sense. Yuuri still didn’t want to hear it.

“I don’t wanna think about it now.” He buried his face in a pillow.

Phichit’s smile grew devious. “You know what you can think about instead? I bet when Durmstrang sends their selected students, Viktor Nikiforov will be one of them.”

Yuuri threw his pillow at the Thai wizard. “That’s even worse!”

…

For the next two weeks, everyone and their mother, and even _his_ mother, asked Yuuri if he was going to enter his name into the Goblet of Fire. And, every time they did, he would make some excuse for why he needed to suddenly run as far away as possible.

It’s just that lots of people seemed to think he was a great wizard. Yuuri, however, knew the truth. He was just a loser. Even if he did enter, and the Goblet selected him, Yuuri was sure his last tale would be his untimely death at the hand of a dragon, or an angry centaur, or even a common racoon.

…

On Halloween, the two contingents of foreign students arrived. The Beauxbatons group entered first, all draped in blue silk. Among them, Yuuri noticed some amazing Quidditch Players, namely Christophe Giacometti, who played for team Switzerland as Keeper, and Sara and Michele Crispino, who were a Chaser and a Beater for team Italy.

Sara waved in his direction--the girl had been training for the summers in London on the same pitch as Yuuri, and she was good. She reminded him a little of his childhood friend, Yuuko, because she was supportive and kind. He wondered if her or her brother would be selected for the tournament, or if Christophe would take that honor.

He waved back at her, causing her brother to glare in his direction. Maybe he shouldn’t be creating enemies so soon in the year. He flushed, turning his attention to the next arriving group of students.

He was sure he wasn’t the only person who gasped when the Durmstrang students entered the room, because leading them was Viktor Nikiforov.

Yuuri could feel his face flushing even more, and saw Phichit taking a photo of his reddened complexion, snickering the whole time. It wasn’t fair, Yuuri thought, his hands covering his cheeks, that Viktor looked even more beautiful in person. Yuuri had never seen him out of Quidditch robes, but he made Durmstrang’s standard crimson look like the height of wizard fashion, silver hair tied into a long ponytail behind him.

Next to him was the redheaded Chaser, Mila Babicheva, and a younger blond boy that Yuuri had never seen before. He could hardly focus on anything else but the smile on Victor’s face that contrasted with most of his fellow student’s serious demeanors, and the way his hair shone, like spun silver reflecting off the light.

When the entrance of both schools was complete, Headmistress McGonagall took her place at the podium.

“Welcome, students from Beauxbatons Academy and the Durmstrang Institute. We will do our utmost to guarantee your comfort and happiness as we participate in this timeless honor. The--”

Yuuri zoned in and out of the speech as he looked upon the extended tables where the new students sat. He gazed at one table in particular, and was startled by a pair of sea blue eyes gazing back at him. Viktor’s eyes. Yuuri immediately dropped his gaze. The other realized he’d been staring. How embarrassing. Viktor was still looking at him when he dared look again, and this time, he winked.

This was going to be an interesting year.

…

He had one week to decide if he would put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Yuuri debated with himself over and over the pros and the cons, but he still couldn’t decide. On one hand, he might make a fool of himself, or he might die. But on the other hand, he had done some pretty cool things at his time in Hogwarts, and everyone was expecting him to at least try.

He had begun to sneak out of the room he shared with Phichit, now in a smaller, more private room as they were a Quidditch captain and a Prefect, respectively, and stare at the Goblet, hoping it would tell him what to do.

It was now the last night he’d be able to enter his name. He stared at the Goblet, slip of paper in hand, and even though he felt foolish, he spoke to it.

“So, should I do it? Do you want me to?” The Goblet remained normal, it’s blue flames flickering.

“Would it even matter? I mean, you won’t pick me, right?” He touched the side of the ornate metal.

“I don’t think it can talk.” An accented voice rung out behind him, startling him. He turned around, coming face to face with Viktor Nikiforov.

“I--um, well. I just--” His voice trailed off, lamely.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is--”

“Viktor Nikiforov. Yeah, I know.” Yuuri said, willing the flush away from his cheeks.

The silver haired wizard laughed. “Oh, are you a fan?”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I guess. I’m a Seeker too, so.” He tried to sound more casual about it that he was feeling.

Viktor surveyed his robes, seeing the Hufflepuff yellow of his scarf. He perked up. “Oh! You’re Katsuki Yuuri, right? The Hufflepuff Seeker. You have offers from two National Teams. That’s pretty incredible, you know.”

Incredible? Yuuri blanched. “Um, not as incredible as your career. I mean, with you on Team Russia, your team is unstoppable.”

Viktor smiled. “I would love to play against you, Katsuki Yuuri. Seeker to Seeker.”

Yuuri was embarrassed at the sound that left his mouth at that. He looked to change the subject.

“So, did you enter your name into the Goblet?” He asked.

Viktor pulled a slip of paper from his robes, and flicked it into the flames. “Yes. Now, are you going to, or will you keep talking to it first?”

Yuuri steeled himself. “I-I will do it right now.” And with shaking hands, he dropped his name into the Goblet of Fire.

“Well, may we both be chosen, and may the best wizard win.” Viktor extended his hand for Yuuri to shake. He took it, shaking firmly, and if their hands lingered a bit, well, he could blame it on the spirit of competition.

“We...shouldn’t be here this late, Viktor. The Prefects are going around now since it’s past curfew, and we could get--”

“Yuuri?” A familiar voice rang out. Phichit. Prefect Phichit.

“Phichit? Are you doing rounds?” Yuuri practically winced. He hoped his best friend wouldn’t nail him with detention in front of Viktor Nikiforov.

“Yes. What are you, and um, Viktor doing here this late?” He looked at Yuuri with an expression more devious than disappointed.

Viktor perked up. “We entered our names into the Goblet of Fire. I’m sorry, I forgot about the curfew rules.”

Phichit’s expression grew into a bigger smile. “That’s okay. I won’t tell anyone. But you both better get back to your rooms now.”

“Thank you,” Viktor said, and was off quickly.

Yuuri, meanwhile had practically melted to the ground, staring at his hand that had touched the hand of his idol.

Phichit took a picture of him. “Yuuri, we are so gonna talk about this tomorrow.”

…

The next day, three names were pulled out of the Goblet of Fire.

“From the Beauxbatons Academy, Miss Sara Crispino.” Headmistress McGonagall’s voice rung out in the large hall. Cheers rang out as Sara stood up and made her way to the front of the room and accepted her spot as the Beauxbatons Champion.

“From the Durmstrang Academy, Viktor Nikiforov.” The cheers grew louder as Viktor stood up and joined Sara, accepting his spot as the Durmstrang Champion. Yuuri smiled. Of course it would be him.

McGonagall caught the next name, and spoke once again: “And from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Katsuki Yuuri.”

The whole world stood still for a second. Yuuri could feel nothing but his heart beating faster and faster, feeling his legs shake as he stood up slowly. He felt Phichit’s hands shove him forward towards the front of the room, where he joined Sara and Viktor, both smiling at him as he accepted his place as the Hogwarts Champion.

…

They were brought into the back room where they were briefed on some rules and regulations. Firstly, they were told what kinds of contact they could have with each other. They weren’t allowed to discuss the intricacies of the tasks, or the clues they received about them. However, they could practice together and discuss spells and other things.

Secondly, there were certain spells that were off limits, mainly the forbidden curses.

And thirdly, they were each now a representation of their schools, and thus they were to be on their best behavior, avoiding incidents at all costs. Yuuri had a feeling that last one was directed at him.

They were told the date of their first trial, and given a slip of paper which contained a clue, for them to read on their own time, and sent on their way.

And just like that, the Triwizard Tournament had begun.

…

_You can’t defeat it, so will it defeat you? There’s Sixty turns of the second hand._

“What does it mean?!” Yuuri groaned into his desk for the hundredth time that night. He had spent countless hours in the library, looking into things that magic had no effect on, or things that were not susceptible to most spells. To Yuuri, the first part made sense: They would be facing a monster that they could not best with magic, and thus had to defend themselves. But the second part? He had no idea what that meant.

“Why are you looking up books on magical creatures, Yuuri?” Viktor’s voice said in his ear. He startled again.

“Oh, you have _got_ to stop doing that!” Yuuri said, heart racing. It had become almost a common occurrence to see Viktor around school, but Viktor was apparently pretty light footed, either that or Yuuri was just not very observant.

“I’m sorry. It’s kind of fun to startle you though.” He spoke, so close to the shell of his ear that he could feel his smile, until he leaned forward past Yuuri’s shoulder to look at his books.

“I mean, the beast part of the riddle is pretty obvious, don’t you think?” Yuuri asked, unsure if he was breaking the rules.

“Beasts? I think the time part is pretty obvious, don’t you?” Viktor looked at him, confused. Yuuri gulped. He was so close, and he smelled amazing, and _what is he doing?_

He shook his head of those thoughts. “What do you mean, time?”

Viktor finally came out from behind the chair, to point at Yuuri’s riddle. “Sixty turns of the second hand. That’s time.”

“Sixty turns… sixty minutes...sixty minutes!” Yuuri exclaimed to Viktor, who nodded.

“It looks like whatever we have to do, we have to do in an hour.”

Yuuri blanched. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Viktor asked, concerned.

“Not _in_ an hour, Viktor. It’s what we have to do _for_ an hour.” Yuuri said, pointing to the first part of the riddle. “You can’t defeat it, so will it defeat you? Did you know there’s some monsters out there that aren’t really susceptible to magic? They can’t be stupified? Or transfigured or, or anything?”

Viktor said something in Russian, which Yuuri could only assume was a swear.

“So if we can’t use magic to attack them…”

“Then we need to defend ourselves. These monsters won’t give up.”

Viktor looked at the riddle once more. “So, for an hour, we need to survive.”

Yuuri nodded. “We need to survive.”

“This is the first task? What will they do next, break our legs and throw us underwater?” Viktor looked rather exasperated, an expression Yuuri never expected to see on his beautiful face.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t put it passed them.” Yuuri groaned again.

Viktor grabbed some of Yuuri’s books. “May I join you and your monster books?”

“Be my guest,” Yuuri said, as Viktor pulled up a chair.

...

They studied like that for the remaining two weeks before the task, often falling asleep on top of the desk they shared in the library together. Yuuri had nightmares of monsters ripping him apart limb by limb, which was doing great for his morale. They both hoped that Sara had figured the task out, since they weren’t allowed to just flat out tell her anything.

The day of the first trial came. Yuuri was taken away by the Hufflepuff Head Boy far outside the grounds of Hogwarts. When he arrived, he saw that Viktor and Sara were already there.

Professor McGonagall sat them all down and asked, “I trust that you all know what you need to do?”

They all nodded. Yuuri was relieved to see that Sara seemed to know as well.

“If you lose consciousness, you will be removed from the arena. However, you will find that death is a very real possibility if you cannot defend yourself.”

Yuuri swallowed hard. Oh, casual, death being a possibility.

“Your one hour begins when the last one of you has entered the arena.”

They all lined up, Viktor, Sara, and then Yuuri. The curtains were pushed forward and they entered the arena.

It was covered in different terrain types, from water to swamp to grass to desert, but that was the last thing on his mind as they came into contact with not one monster.

Three monsters stood in front of them, looking hungry for human flesh. Yuuri quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, seeing his body blend in with his surroundings. This had been his plan, to disappear and hide for an hour. He watched as Viktor summoned a Silver Shield and Sara encased herself in a Bubble. Yuuri ducked his hidden self as close to a rock as he could and surveyed the monsters.

First, there were two lion-sized creatures with similar combinations of creatures. He recognized one as a Chimera right away as it had the tail of a dragon, but the other had a snarling human face, and the tail of a scorpion. That was a Manticore, one of the deadliest creatures known to wizards. They were smart, too. It wouldn’t be long before that one discovered Yuuri’s disguise.

The third was a dragon. A beautiful, shining dragon, whose skin reflected off light as if it were made of opals. Yuuri was sure that even one scale of this dragon was worth millions of galleons. It flew above them, like a vulture stalking its prey, if vultures were forty feet long.

Suddenly, the dragon ducked, wings popping Sara Crispino’s bubble. It grabbed her in it’s claws, flying high, high, only to drop her viciously to the ground. Yuuri watched with panic as she fell. From that height, she wouldn’t survive a fall. He took a risk, stepping out from behind his rock, hurling a _tria ventus_ into the air to slow her fall. She rolled onto the grass, clearly hurting but alive.

However, he was now surrounded by the two Greek monsters, the one with a human face calling out his name, beckoning him closer and closer so he could kill him. Viktor shouted a spell that Yuuri couldn’t hear, and the ground shook, splitting in two, leaving the Manticore on Viktor’s side and the Chimera on Yuuri’s. Well, that evened the playing ground.

Yuuri looked at the Beast, who looked ready to pounce, and cast a swift _orbis_ at the ground, caving in the Chimera and allowing Yuuri to make a quick escape to Viktor’s aide.

“Chimera is down until he digs himself out,” Yuuri said, casting an _impedimento_ in the air so the Manticore was slowed down.

“This one has a stinging tail,” Viktor said, shield raised.

“It’s a Manticore. That sting is deadly.” Yuuri said, as they slowly backed away from it’s crooning.

From the corner of his eye, Yuuri could see that Sara was keeping the dragon busy with all kinds of jinxes. The dragon was a selfish creature, and likely wouldn't attack Viktor or Yuuri until Sara was incapacitated.

“I have an idea.” Viktor said, lifting his wand. “ _Accio Firebolt!”_ His broom zoomed forward into his hand. He was in the air in seconds, and the dragon hadn’t noticed, like Yuuri predicted.

Yuuri did the same, his Nimbus appearing, and then he was in the air.

“Now what?” He asked, voice raised as the manticore screamed because he couldn’t reach them.

“We can stun him. _Baubilious!”_ He shouted, and a bolt of lightning came down and struck next to the creature's face.”

If it hit him, it wouldn’t have had an effect, but being so close made the creature’s eyes lose focus, and made the hair stand up on it’s skin.

“It doesn’t like light!” Yuuri shouted, immediately following with a _baubilious_ of his own. The creature staggered forward, and Viktor’s _Lumos Maximus_ made the creature dazed enough to run itself into the wall, staggering into circles as it finally laid on the ground next to the Chimera who was still trying to dig itself out.

They almost celebrated their small victory when they heard a shout and a crash, followed by gasps from their audience. Sara had been thrown by the dragon, and this time, Yuuri wasn’t there to break her fall. Yuuri and Viktor raced over to her, and she was barely conscious, but she looked like she’d be okay as she stayed on the ground. Yuuri stood on the ground with her to make sure she wasn’t hurt any more by the dragon, who then set it’s eyes on Viktor, who was still in the air. The dragon roared and opened its mouth, angered by Sara enough to produce flames that it hurled directly at Viktor. Yuuri was on his broom instantly, zooming through the air like Viktor was a Golden Snitch. The flames shot out in a wide breadth, but Yuuri tacked Viktor away from the deadly fire and sent them both hurtling towards the ground.

Landing might have hurt more if Sara hadn’t used the last of her energy to cast a _tria ventus_ of her own, breaking their fall. The dragon roared in rage, and the Chimera broke out of it’s rock tomb. The Manticore arose, incensed, and they surrounded them.

Then, the clock rang out, signaling their hour of survival was over. They had done it. The beast all vanished, replaced with a sapphire, an emerald, and a ruby.

Viktor seemed to be in a state of shock as Yuuri moved to stand up, but he broke out of it and pulled Yuuri into his arms on the ground.

“You--you saved my life, Katsuki Yuuri. I’ll never forget that.” Viktor said, looking at him in a way that Yuuri could only describe as adoration.

Yuuri returned his hug, mostly out of adrenaline. “I had to. If I want to face you on the Quidditch pitch, I’d prefer if you were alive.”

Viktor smiled, and helped them both to their feet. Sara had to be taken out of the arena with much assistance, and Madame Pomfrey was flitting about about broken ribs. Yuuri hoped she was alright.

...

The scores after the first event were as follows:

In Third Place: Sara Crispino, who was awarded extra points for remaining valiant.

In Second Place: Viktor Nikiforov, whose quick thinking incapacitated a monster and saved a fellow competitor.

In First Place: Katsuki Yuuri, who not only incapacitated two monsters, but made valiant efforts to help and save both of his fellow competitors.

They were gifted the stones which the monsters transformed into, which contained their second clue.

_What do you fear? Is it fear itself?_

…

Viktor started eating his meals with Yuuri. Phichit and him were introduced to Mila properly, as well as the young blond boy who was Yuri as well, but much smaller and angrier and “is waiting for Viktor’s old ass to graduate so I can be Durmstrang’s Seeker.” 

Yuuri liked him.

The more time he spent with Viktor, the less Viktor seemed like an untouchable idol. He was dramatic and cheerful, a little goofy sometimes, a shameless flirt, and the one time they went to Hogsmeade before the Christmas break, he’d had too much firewhiskey and cried about his poodle named Makkachin.

That same night, they’d spent hours just talking, walking the length of Hogsmeade and back to the castle. By that time, Yuuri had fessed up that his owl-turned-poodle was named after Viktor and Viktor laughed, voice like a bell ringing in the snowy sky. They began to discuss birthdays, and Viktor pouted when he found out that Yuuri’s had already passed.

“I would’ve gotten you something.” He said, moving closer to Yuuri for warmth in the snow.

“That’s not necessary, Viktor. Besides, I don’t even know what I want. What do you want for your birthday?”

“My birthday?” Viktor thought for a moment.

“It’s on Christmas Day, right?” Yuuri asked.

“I knew you were a big fan Yuuri,” Viktor teased, and Yuuri blushed.

“I-just tell me what you want, and if you feel bad for missing my birthday, you can get me a Christmas gift.”

Viktor’s eyes lit up. “The Yule Ball is on Christmas Day, isn’t it?”

Yuuri gulped. “Mmhmm.”

Viktor intertwined their hands. “Go with me? Be my date to the Yule Ball?”

Yuuri had to concentrate to make himself remain upright. He couldn’t believe that Viktor would ask him that. Viktor could have anyone he wanted, so why did he want Yuuri?

“Viktor, I know that I saved your life, but if you’re doing this because you think you _owe_ me I--”

He was cut off by Viktor’s lips on his. Yuuri melted into it, sighing as his whole body was filled with warmth. Viktor tasted like peppermint and firewhiskey, and he made an approving little sound as Yuuri wrapped his arms around his neck.

Viktor broke off the kiss. “I’m asking you because I _like_ you, Yuuri. I want to spend time with you. I think you’re beautiful.”

Yuuri made a sound that he would never admit was a squeak at that last part. “ _You’re_ beautiful,” Yuuri whispered, suddenly aware of Viktor’s arms still around him, holding him close.

“Is that a yes?” Viktor said, the corners of his mouth turned upwards.

“Yes,” Yuuri said, and Victor caught his mouth in another kiss, and another, and another, until they couldn’t take the cold of the falling snow any longer and had to retreat back into the castle.

…

They ended up sneaking all the way back into Yuuri’s room, and kissed and kissed and kissed each other until they fell asleep. Yuuri was insanely grateful that Phichit was his roommate, because the next morning, he found him on the couch in the common room, and the only thing the displaced Hufflepuff had to say was, “I’ve been waiting for you to go through a ho phase, Yuuri. Congrats.”

“N-no Phichit, we didn’t--” Phichit raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow.

“Really? Because it sure looks like you did.” He smiled, gesturing to Yuuri’s neck.

Yuuri raced to the nearest bathroom, seeing his reflection. He looked a mess, hair tousled and lips swollen by kisses. There seemed to be a permanent flush on his cheeks and he had a small hickey on his collarbone. His clothes were wrinkled and he looked very much like he had done more than kiss the Russian the night before. He raced back into his room and observed the other’s paler skin, which had a few love bites of its own on it. Viktor’s long hair was beautiful, even tangled up and unbrushed.

Of course Viktor chose that exact moment to wake up. “Good morning _zolotse_.” He smiled, the foreign word sending a thrill down Yuuri’s spine. He gestured for Yuuri to come closer and he did, because he couldn’t resist. Viktor’s limbs went over his like a sloth, and Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh.

“What does that mean?” Yuuri asked from the warmth of the bed and Viktor’s hug.

“ _Zolotse?_ It means something golden.”

Yuuri smiled. “I’m not getting anything golden because you’ve made me addicted to kissing you. Now I’ll never study for the next trial. It’ll be a miracle if I even study for school.”

“Well than, we better congratulate Sara on her win, because I may be addicted to kissing you too. We’ll never win this way.”

They both laughed, until Viktor’s eyes fell on the emerald that Yuuri was given after the first trial.

“What do you fear? Is it fear itself?” Viktor repeated. 

“I have no idea how to answer that.” Yuuri admitted.

“Me neither,” Viktor agreed.

And since it was Christmas Break, Yuuri didn’t feel even an ounce of guilt for falling asleep in  his arms again.

…

The days leading up to the Yule Ball were light and full of happiness. Viktor seemed content to stay by Yuuri’s side for as long as Yuuri would let him, which was convenient as Yuuri was sure he’d never let him go.

Phichit took so many pictures of the two of them, others in the background, like a scandalized Yuri Plisetsky, or Yurio as they’d all started to call him, or an amused Christophe Giacometti, who, as it turns out was a good friend of Viktor’s.

Sara had even dragged her brother out to hang out with them sometimes. She was recovering from three broken ribs, but she remained optimistic for the next trial.

A few days before the ball, Yuuri dragged out his old dress robes, and Viktor’s face fell when he saw them.

“Oh no, Yuuri. No boyfriend of mine is going to the Yule Ball wearing that.” He tsked, and dragged him to his room in the Hogwarts Guest Quarters.

Yuuri only flushed, repeating “Boyfriend?!” as he was pulled through the halls.

“Viktor, you are in a room alone?” Yuuri asked, amused.

“Yes,” he said, absent-mindedly as he searched through his unpacked clothes.

“So why haven’t we been sleeping in here?” Yuuri wondered out loud.

Viktor perked up. “Well, Phichit sleeps in your room too. I didn’t want anyone to think I was having my wicked way with you all this time.” One corner of his mouth perked up, suggestively.

 _But I /want/ you to_. Yuuri thought, rather desperately.

“Oh?” Viktor said, taken aback.

“Did I say that out loud?” Yuuri squeaked out, ready to crawl under a rock and die.

“Yes, you did.” Viktor said, with a smile that could only be described as wicked.

He pulled him into his arms. “You are going to drive me crazy, Katsuki Yuuri.” And the kisses that followed weren’t as sweet as they were filthy. These were the kind of kisses that made Yuuri breathless, made his hands bury deep into long silver locks, drawing out a moan that was half like a growl from Viktor, whose hands, usually tame, hung low on his hips, making their way down to palm Yuuri’s ass as their tongues twisted in a battle that they were both losing and winning.

The hands on Yuuri’s backside dragged him forward until their hips met, delicious friction sending heat pooling down Yuuri’s spine, a moan from both of them breaking the kiss as Viktor began to trail his lips down his jawline, sucking marks into his neck again. Yuuri heard himself moan out Viktor’s name, and he had to admit it sounded dirty, but Viktor’s blue eyes darkened at the sound, and Yuuri felt his knees hit the back of Viktor’s bed as he fell back against it, dragging Viktor down on top of him.

Viktor resumed his kisses to Yuuri’s jawline, pausing only to speak in his ear: “Have you been imagining this?”

And Yuuri, normally cautious, threw his caution to the wind as he groaned out “Yes.”

He realized then that he was hard, and that Viktor was hard, and that the way they were rolling their hips together meant that Yuuri wasn’t going to last at all.

Viktor began to nibble on his earlobe, occasionally whispering things in Russian as they rocked together.

“Oh, Viktor, I’m not gonna last, I’ll-if you keep doing that I’ll--” Yuuri moaned out, breath hitching as Viktor spoke again.

“Let yourself go for me, Yuuri.” And he did, his climax soiling his old dress robes. As he came down from the high, he delighted in watching Viktor fall apart on top of him, moans raising in pitch until he, too ruined a perfectly good pair of trousers.

Viktor slumped on top of him for a couple seconds before rolling over to give Yuuri some space.

“I can’t believe I just-we just--” Yuuri’s voice trailed off at the thought of it.

“I know,” Viktor said, grin audible in his voice. “I got to see you come undone, _and_ you can’t wear these awful dress robes now. Don’t worry, you can wear some of mine.” He said, standing and going through his clothing one last time before pulling a pair of black, well tailored and _expensive_ looking dress robes.

“These should fit.” Yuuri sat up, squinting at the robes, cursing his decision not to wear his glasses. He recognized the clothes immediately.

“Viktor! You wore those robes after the World Cup in 2014!” Yuuri gasped, reaching out to feel the material.

“I love that you’re such a fan, Yuuri. It’s really cute.” Yuuri felt his face go red. Oh sure, they can get off together without a hitch, but Viktor teases him about anything else and he’s a mess? Typical Yuuri.

…

 _What do I fear?_ Yuuri thought about it over and over again. A Boggart would be way too easy. They all knew how to displace the creature, and there was more to the riddle anyway.

 _Is it fear itself?_ What did that mean? He peeled over books and scrolls, and nothing he read got him any closer to an answer.

…

Before Yuuri knew it, it was Christmas Day, Viktor’s birthday, and the day of the Yule Ball. He woke up in Viktor’s bed, warm and cozy except for the lack of Viktor in it.

Yuuri pulled on his robes and began to wander the school grounds, searching for the Durmstrang Seeker, finding him sitting outside in the snow by the frozen lake, casting _Orchideous_ again and again until forget-me-nots bloomed all around him.

“Viktor?” Yuuri asked, looking confused. What was he doing out here in the cold?

“Yuuri!” Viktor said with his usual enthusiasm, smiling brightly. But, this smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What are you doing out here?” He said, sitting next to the boy, careful to avoid the flowers.

“I--um. I had to be alone for a little while today.” He said, fingers reaching to stroke the petals on the delicate flowers. Yuuri let his head fall on the other’s shoulder, trying not to pry but offering comfort.

“ _Orchideous_ was my mother’s favorite spell. Our house used to be covered in flowers. These were her favorite. Forget-me-nots.”

Yuuri started to have an idea as to why Viktor was outside that morning.

“I don’t know if she knew she was dying, or she just liked the flowers. But, she’s been gone for five years today, and well--there are no more flowers in my house. My father can’t even look at flowers anymore.”

“Viktor, I--” He was cut off by Viktor’s arms around him.

“I’m not sad anymore, Yuuri. I just want to remember her the way she was when the flowers bloomed. Vibrant. Full of life. And love. She loved us with every piece of her heart.”

“I bet she was wonderful, Viktor.” Yuuri said, sinking into his embrace.

“She was. I--we always found it difficult to celebrate anything this time of the year. When you asked me what I wanted for my birthday, it caught me off guard.” Viktor said, teeth starting to chatter from the cold.

“I think I just want to spend more time with you, Yuuri. You make me feel like everything’s okay. Safe.” He said, looking quite vulnerable.

Yuuri went out on that same limb. “I feel the same way, Viktor.” He broke their embrace, much to Viktor’s surprise, casting an _Orchideous_ of his own, causing blue roses to grow beside the forget-me-nots.

“Yuuri?” Viktor asked.

“Yes?”

“Why is there a Hippogriff behind us?”

Susan made a new friend that day.

…

The time came for the Yule Ball to begin. Everyone had taken time to get ready, wanting to look their best.

Yuuri and Viktor were no exception. Viktor’s robes looked to be of spun silver and gold, making his usual radiant appearance even more beautiful. It was almost painful to gaze into eyes so blue, and see adoration reflected in his gaze.

When Yuuri saw him that night, hair draped long and loose behind his back, he gasped, and Viktor laughed at him until Yuuri kissed him quiet, and ran his fingers through the silken strands.

“You have the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen,” Yuuri admitted, wondering where his confidence came from.

“My grandmother was a Veela.” Viktor said, nonchalantly.

“Really?” Yuuri asked, his often other-worldly appearance beginning to make sense.

“Yes.” Viktor said. “People often act a little crazy around me. It’s sort of a pain. Haven’t you noticed?” He asked.

“Not really.” Yuuri said, neglecting to mention that when he was with Viktor he hardly looked at other people.

“You look amazing, Yuuri.” Viktor changed the subject, gesturing to Yuuri’s dress robes. _Viktor’s_ dress robes. They had fit him well, after a small hem. He had to admit that the black fabric really complemented his hair and his eyes, and with his hair slicked back and his glasses off for the evening, he felt a little...sexy.

“Thank you, Viktor.” He said, taking his arm as they walked towards the Great Hall. Normally, he would have denied looking nice, shrugging off any kinds of complements. He probably looked a little dumb in Viktor’s expensive clothes, but he loved wearing them.

The Yule Ball was, in a word, magnificent. Everyone was dressed to the nines, in the most opulent of gowns and dress robes. The whole room glittered like a diamond, ice sculptures and candles that burned forever creating a warm atmosphere of celebration for the holiday and for the end of the year.

“You know what dance happens first, right Yuuri?” Viktor asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“No?” Yuuri responded.

“The Champion’s Waltz opens the ball.” Viktor said, pulling Yuuri to the dance floor where Sara had already pulled Mila to the dancefloor, her brother sputtering something along the lines of, “That’s not what I meant when I said no boys can dance with you.”

They had gotten into place when Yuuri began to panic. He could hear people whispering about him, probably making fun of him and his appearance, he knew he looked chubby in Viktor’s robes and he was a huge failure who was going to lose the Triwizard Tournament and then Viktor would leave and never come back and marry a hot girl who was actually _good_ at Quidditch and---

“Yuuri, are you okay?” Viktor asked, gaze fixed on his eyes.

“Oh! I’m--I don’t know how to dance, Viktor.” He supplied, lamely. It was kind of true.

Viktor smiled. “Well, I do. And Yuuri, it’s just like flying. Follow me.”

He had barely noticed the music that had started to play, when Viktor was gliding him around the room. It really did feel like they were in the air, feet barely touching the ground in the rhythm Viktor had set.

All Yuuri could focus on were the points where their bodies connected, hands touching, Viktor’s hand on his waist, Yuuri’s had on his shoulder and they turned and turned until they were joined by several other couples.

They left the floor after what could have been either minutes or hours, Yuuri feeling light-hearted and giddy like he’d drunk champagne even without taking one sip. They sat down then, next to a scowling Yuri Plisetsky who had to be taken by Mila to even be allowed into the event.

As Viktor began to chat to Christophe, sitting nearby, Yurio began to speak to Yuuri.

“You guys are gross, you know that?” He scrunched up his face.

“You really look up to Viktor, huh?” Yuuri answered back, seeing the flush cover the younger boy’s face.

“That idiot? No! Has he told you to call him Vitya yet?” Yurio pretended to vomit, causing Yuuri to laugh, and Viktor to turn around and kiss his cheeks.

Viktor was not shy with his affections that night, feeding Yuuri bites of cakes and pastries and kissing the tip of his nose, to everyone’s delight, and to Yurio’s disgust (but also secretly, delight).

The party had begun to wind down when Viktor pulled Yuuri out of the Great Hall with a look in his eyes that Yuuri had begun to realize was desire. He could feel it too, swirling somewhere low. Ever since they’d first shared messy climaxes together in Viktor’s room, they had both been on edge.

“Let’s go somewhere, Yuuri.” Viktor said, unassuming. “Can we look at the stars somewhere?”

Yuuri nodded, and took Viktor’s hand, leading them up to the Astronomy Tower. They weren’t technically allowed in the tower, but it wasn’t locked, and the rules weren’t on his mind as they ascended.

The stars were clearly visible from this high up, mapping out constellations, muggle and magical, in the sky. Yuuri gazed at them for a while with Viktor, before fixing his gaze on the other’s silver hair, following the loose waves with his eyes from root to tip.

Viktor must have been able to tell he was staring, because he turned to Yuuri and met his eyes before bringing him into a kiss. Yuuri deepened it, allowing his mouth to fall open, inviting Viktor to explore with his tongue. It was quiet in the spacious tower, empty of anything but the two of them. The only sounds were made by their lips on each other, and their heavy breaths as they broke apart to breathe.

“Viktor?” Yuuri called his name, breaking the silence.

“Yes, Yuuri?” He kissed his hair.

“Can I--Can I touch you?” Yuuri was sure that every part of his body was red, but he didn’t expect the tinge of red to come over Viktor’s porcelain features.

A long line of what sounded like gibberish, and then what sounded like Russian left Viktor’s mouth. Yuuri looked at him, confused, and then Viktor began again.

“I forgot how to speak every language I know for a minute, Yuuri. You always surprise me. What do you want to--” His voice trailed off as Yuuri felt himself fall to his knees.

“I just want to make you feel good, _Vitya_.” Yuuri smiled, small, still mortified but equally turned on from what he was offering to do.

Viktor’s eyes were open wide, flush moving all the way to his ears. “Oh Yuuri, you can touch me however you want, _dorogoy_.”

Yuuri found his hands shaking as he unbuttoned Viktor’s pants, seeing his erection beginning to tent his underwear. He palmed the bulge, listening to the small sounds Viktor made as his hips jerked forward. He met his eyes, which had darkened considerably as he mouthed the bulge a little bit, dragging out a long moan as one of Viktor’s hands made it’s way into Yuuri’s hair.

Yuuri could feel his own erection growing even without any attention, and he wondered if Phichit was right about him having a “ho” phase. Regardless, he placed his fingers on the waistband of Viktor’s briefs, waiting for him to nod so he could push the fabric below his erection. Yuuri gulped. It was rather big. Like _how did he fly with this thing?_ big. Was he supposed to put it all in his mouth? He stroked it slowly with his hand as he contemplated these things, Viktor unaware of his internal monologue as he threw his head back against the wall in pleasure.

“Oh, _Yuuri_ ,” Viktor moaned his name. Yuuri felt himself hold back a whimper.

“I-I don’t really know what I’m doing.” He admitted.

Viktor’s hand ran threw Yuuri’s hair. “That’s okay. I’m honored that you would try this for me.” He thought Viktor might mock him for admitting that he was a virgin, but the other looked happy to be one of Yuuri’s first experiences, especially when Yuuri began to give little, tentative licks to the head of his cock.

He delighted in the little gasps that left Viktor’s mouth as his tongue grew bolder, circling the tip and then moving from base to tip. The taste wasn’t as bad as Yuuri expected, as he finally took a little bit into his mouth. He wasn’t sure how to proceed, but Viktor seemed satisfied anyway, with the way Yuuri caressed the silky skin with his tongue.

“Yuuri, oh, it’s so _hot_ inside you.” Viktor was a talker, then. His words went straight to Yuuri’s erection, drawing out a moan that vibrated around Viktor. He decided to slowly go forward, and bringing more of Viktor into his mouth. He tried to breath through his nose, pulling back and pushing forward again, stroking what he couldn’t fit in his mouth.

Viktor’s hands were both in his hair, messing up his careful styling with the way they pulled, drawing out moans from Yuuri, which only made Viktor moan louder.

“Yuuri, if you don’t stop soon I’ll--” Viktor was close to coming? Yuuri did that. A small surge of pride filled him as he pushed forward again, enveloping his cock deeper than before. He met Viktor’s eyes, willing him to let go.

A couple of seconds later, Viktor was coming in Yuuri’s mouth, swearing in Russian as he went over the edge. Yuuri pulled back a little so he wouldn’t choke, catching the warm ropes of Viktor’s spend in his mouth and swallowing them down.

He watched Viktor as he slid down the wall, longs strands of fringe stuck to his forehead. Their eyes stayed connected until Viktor moved to dress himself again, buttoning up his trousers.

“Wow, Yuuri.” He said, breathless. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?”

“Never.” Yuuri said, squirming. His erection was pretty obvious, he thought.

“You’re a natural then. Come here.” He reached out for him, kissing him as he undid the buckle on his trousers.

Yuuri squeaked as Viktor’s hand wrapped around his erection, stroking firmly. He was practically in Viktor’s lap as the other stroked him, leaning forward to speak in his ear.

“Did you get turned on sucking me off, Yuuri? That’s so hot. I’ll return the favor soon, but next time, I’ve got to have you. Do you want that? Me inside of you?”

Yuuri didn’t last very long with the way Viktor spoke to him. He came into Viktor’s hand, watching mesmerized as he brought his hand up to his mouth and licked it clean.

After Yuuri pulled his pants back up, they soon returned to Viktor’s room. Falling asleep was easy in Viktor’s arms.

…

School began again after the new year, and Yuuri was reminded of the upcoming second task. He saw Sara carrying piles of books about a variety of subjects, and saw Viktor turn the crystal over and over in his hands, pondering the questions.

Yuuri began to worry that he would have to enter the task blind, when Phichit gave him an idea.

The boy had been studying for his Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T., and he repeated some facts over and over until he remembered. Yuuri didn’t mind, maybe some of Phichit’s hard work would rub off on him.

Except, every five minutes, Phichit would stop to pester him about Viktor.

“I can’t believe you won’t tell me, your best friend, what happened after the Yule Ball.” He whined, as Yuuri rolled his eyes.

“I don’t have to say anything. That’s personal.”

“Ugh, fine, but I’m just going to assume you guys are into weird stuff. Spanking. Transfiguring into old people and doin’ it.”

“Phichit!” The other boy shrugged.

“I don’t judge.”

Yuuri sighed. “Fine. We--ugh. I gave him a--this is so embarrassing.” Yuuri buried his face in a pillow.

“You gave him a blowjob! I’m so proud of you!” Phichit got up and began taking pictures of Yuuri, who was now “Half a virgin.”

“You know, you’re a terrible influence.” Yuuri deadpanned.

“And you’re a big slut, Yay! Was he big?” He asked, inquisitively.

“Phichit!” Yuuri screamed, throwing the pillow at him, causing an all-out pillow fight.

Once they calmed down, aka once Phichit held Yuuri upside down in the air until he relented and admitted that Viktor was big, Phichit resumed studying. He began:

“Dementors take happy memories from their victims until the victim is left with nothing but sadness and fear. The prisoners of Azkaban once referred to them as Fear Itself. They can only be displaced--”

Fear Itself? “Phichit read that again.”

The Thai seventh year perked up. “Interested in studying Yuuri. Finally! Dementors were called ‘Fear Itself’ by the prisoners at Azkaban.”

“I need that book, Phichit! It’s got a trial clue.” Phichit surrendered his book willingly and wished Yuuri luck as he raced out of the Hufflepuff Dungeons, past the kitchens and up to the guest area where Viktor was staying.

The task wasn’t about Boggarts. It was about Dementors. Which was scary, sure, but this was a test of their ability to cast a difficult spell.

He knocked rapidly on Viktor’s door, smiling sheepishly when a sleepy-looking Viktor opened the door. Yuuri felt a little guilty, it was rather late.

“Hello, _solnishko_. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked, smiling lewdly.

“This is not a _booty call_ , Viktor. Can you cast a patronus?” Yuuri said, entering the room, leaving Viktor repeating the words “booty call” amusedly, shutting the door behind them.

“A patronus? Yes, of course. Why?” He said, running a hand languidly across Yuuri’s back.

Yuuri felt tingles cross his skin as Viktor caressed his skin.

“I can’t just tell you. But I think you should read this page.” He brought out the book.

Viktor began to study the words, a small furrow appearing at his brow as he deciphered the  more complicated ones.

“I’ll let you read it, but I’ll need the book back. It’s Phichit’s.”

“Yuuri. Stay?” Viktor said, gesturing to the bed as he sat himself down upon it. Yuuri sighed, and cuddled up against his side as Viktor read.

It took a few minutes of reading before Viktor let out a small, “Oh,” followed by, “Dementors.”

But Yuuri didn’t hear him, as he had already fallen asleep.

…

The Second Trial came on a cold night in February, and Yuuri shivered as he was led into the Forbidden Forest.

Sara and Viktor were already there when he arrived, and McGonagall once again wished them well before they were left alone. It was rather dark in the forest at night.

Yuuri’s first spell was a _lumos_ to be able to see. It would be bad if he tripped over a root and lost his glasses. He saw the _lumos_ of Sara’s wand and of Viktor’s a few feet away from himself.

“It can’t be a boggart,” Sara whispered. Yuuri wondered if she knew about the Dementors.

They all paced forward, wondering what they’d see before long. What if he was wrong? Maybe there was another creature waiting for them that he knew nothing about?

He began to feel a chill far deeper than the chill from the cold. It creeped up his spine and made him shiver, a sense of dread filling his soul.

“Yuuri, behind you!” Sara whispered. Yuuri turned, coming face to face with a Dementor.

It was terrifying to look at. He’d heard lots of things about the skeletal creatures, but seeing on up close was truly horrible. He felt the creature’s influence, on him, felt it begin to delve into his happiness when he heard the shout of _Expecto Patronum!_ From Viktor.

Yuuri saw the Dementor recoil as a brilliant white Phoenix burst from the tip of Viktor’s wand. _Viktor would have a magical patronus_ , Yuuri thought, as another Dementor came up behind Sara.

He shouted the spell himself that time, watching as a Hippogriff flew from his wand, chasing the beast away. _I suppose I do, too_.

A third Dementor began to come after Viktor, and Sara cast her Patronus, a brilliant swan, banishing the monster away.

“It can’t be that easy.” Viktor said, just as all three beasts returned.

“That’s impossible!” Yuuri shouted as he cast the spell again and again. The Dementors should have been sent away by the spell, but now, they were only being knocked back over and over again.

Something wasn’t right. Yuuri thought the words of the riddle over and over again in his head, wondering how long it would be before the Patronus spell would wear him out.

Sara shouted then. “They’re not Dementors! They’re Boggarts!” And, suddenly, the monsters began to change.

Yuuri came face to face with himself. He heard Sara screaming, something about _gli insetti,_ and he heard Viktor cry out behind him, but Yuuri remained transfixed by the image in front of him.

It was just Yuuri. Too short, maybe a little chubby because he couldn’t play Quidditch this year, boring, normal Yuuri. His glasses were out of fashion and his wand was moody, and often didn't listen to him. He was a disappointment. He stared at the boggart, feeling tears roll down his cheeks, even as he heard the _riddikulus_ from Viktor and Sara.

Suddenly, Viktor shoved him away from the Boggart, the beast changing shape, turning into the image of a frail, pale woman who looked through Viktor like she couldn’t even see him. He managed a curt _riddikulus_ and she transformed into a vibrant woman who badly juggled tomatoes, and when she dropped them all on her head, Viktor couldn’t help but laugh. The Boggart was gone after that.

Sara looked at him with an expression that Yuuri could describe as pity, and Viktor helped him out of the trial with a look that was torn between fear and anger.

…

After the second trial, the scores were as follows:

In First Place: Viktor Nikiforov, who displaced two Boggarts and showed skill with the Patronus Charm

Tied for Second Place: Katsuki Yuuri, who displayed great skill with the Patronus Charm and Sara Crispino, who recognized that the creatures they were battling were Boggarts.

…

Viktor didn’t speak to Yuuri until they were alone in his room. Yuuri was confused, yes, he failed to disengage his Boggart, but Viktor did. He was even in first place now, so what was the problem?

“Yuuri.” Viktor said, finally breaking the silence.

“Viktor. What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Why is your boggart just you?” Viktor said, eyes looking hurt, like Yuuri had smacked him in the face.

“I-um. I don’t know?” He answered weakly.

Viktor scoffed. “You don’t know what you’re afraid of? Sure, Yuuri. I didn't think you were a liar.”

Yuuri began to feel defensive. “What does it matter. Sara looked so upset, too--but it’s my Boggart. It’s my business, okay?” He felt like a child, turning to leave the Russian’s room.

Viktor’s hand reached out to keep him in place. “I care about you, Yuuri. That’s why I want to know. I have never, ever seen a Boggart do that before. I’m just worried. And you were crying, too, and shaking, I was so upset by the sight of it--”

Yuuri felt the tears return to his cheeks. Viktor reached out to brush them away. “Yuuri, what’s wrong?”

He felt the tears fall faster. “It’s always looked like that, since I first saw a Boggart in my third year. I know that some people are afraid of heights, of clowns, but I have always been afraid of, well, me.”

“What does that mean?” Viktor said, voice pleading.

“I see that Boggart and it looks just like me, and it’s not enough. The Yuuri I see is a second rate wizard, a loser, a boring idiot who can’t get anything right. I’m not good enough at Quidditch, not good enough at school, not good enough to compete in this tournament. It’s just showing me what I really am, not what people think about me.”

He hadn’t been able to meet Viktor’s eyes as he explained himself, but when he looked up at the other boy, he was crying, too.

“V-viktor? Why are you crying?” Yuuri reached up to brush his fringe out of his face.

“You really think so little of yourself, my Yuuri?”

“It’s like there’s a voice in my head at all times, reminding me that I could do better.” Yuuri admitted, letting Viktor into his head, feeling vulnerable. The other still had a few stray tears falling, and Yuuri felt guilty.

“Viktor, please don’t cry for me.” He was enveloped in a hug then, not able to see Viktor’s face, but hearing the sadness in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Yuuri. I know it’s none of my business but--I adore you.” He pulled back, looking at Yuuri again. “Meeting you was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I haven’t been on a broom in months but when I’m with you I feel like I’m flying. To see you put yourself down like that, to be afraid that you’re not good enough--well, I might not be able to change your mind but you mean _everything_ to me.”

“Viktor--” Yuuri said, breath catching.

“I know it won’t make everything better, but I love you, Yuuri. I know a lot of people who love you, too. Not as much as me, of course.” He smiled, and Yuuri felt the corners of his mouth pull upwards. He had opened up to Viktor about his anxieties and he wasn’t being rejected. Yuuri let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, reaching his arms around Viktor as he pulled him into a kiss that was eagerly returned.

“I love you too, Viktor.” Yuuri whispered into the silent air between them as they broke the kiss. Viktor leaned in again, lips meeting with more intensity. Their kisses grew hungrier and needier, until Yuuri and Viktor both were pawing at each other’s robes.

Red fabric and yellow and black hit the floor as they made their way onto Viktor’s bed. They moaned into each other’s mouths as Viktor undid Yuuri’s tie, while Yuuri dipped his hands into Viktor’s unbuttoned trousers.

“Yuuri, I love the way you touch me,” Viktor groaned as he finally divested Yuuri of his shirt. Yuuri was impatient, craving the skin on skin contact they had yet to fully explore.

“Less talking. More naked.” He half-ordered Viktor, who tugged Yuuri’s pants and boxer-briefs down skillfully. Yuuri struggled with Victor’s trousers until the Russian moved to take them off himself, slipping black briefs down as well.

Yuuri supposed he’d seen most of the important bits, but now he was presented with entire fields of pale beauty that he just had to touch, and touch he did, running his hands, his lips over whatever expanse of skin seemed to cause a better reaction from Viktor. Viktor’s hands were curious too, traveling the muscles in his back, the bones of his hips and down to his muscular thighs.

“Yuuri, you’re so beautiful.” Viktor said as he joined their lips again, pushing Yuuri fully onto his back as he ground their hips together, drawing out more moans from the both of them.

“Viktor--can you, can we--” Yuuri said, face red with implication.

“What do you want me to do, _moya lyubov_ ?” Viktor asked, waiting, eyes full of admiration and _love_.

“Make love to me, Vitya.” Yuuri said, bringing him back down for a kiss.

Viktor proceeded to make a number of sounds Yuuri had never heard as Viktor broke off the kiss to reach for what Yuuri was assuming was a lubrication potion. He was right as Viktor’s fingers made their way around his cock, stroking a few times so it was slick, before they travelled lower finding his entrance.

“Is this okay, Yuuri?” Viktor asked. The slick had been cold, but was getting warmer as it made contact with his skin.

“Yes, Vitya,” Yuuri said, grinning as Viktor’s cheeks grew red from the nickname. The grin didn’t last for long, as a finger had made its way inside of him. It didn’t hurt--Yuuri had come this far by himself, and he encouraged Viktor to keep going as he began to move it around, stretching him out little by little.

The next finger went in easy enough, but as Viktor began to scissor them inside of him, it burned. Yuuri was sure he whimpered or did something equally embarrassing, but Viktor only encouraged him to relax, kissing the inside of his thigh as he worked his fingers steadily. One more was added for good measure, and Yuuri felt like his face was burning from his flush, wondered how he had any blood left to blush with when so much was going down to his cock.

Viktor, still busy sucking a bruise into his thigh, began to move his fingers more aggressively, fingers going deeper inside him and rubbing against something that made Yuuri cry out. Viktor abused that spot a few more seconds before Yuuri was close to begging Viktor to go further,

“Vitya, please. I want it.” He gasped, watching as Viktor withdrew his fingers and moved to cover his own cock in the slick. He moved forward, leaning over Yuuri to kiss him, head nudging against his entrance as Yuuri whimpered “Don’t tease me,” against Viktor’s lips.

Viktor leaned back to position himself and pushed the head of his cock inside. Yuuri cried out--it was already a bigger stretch than his fingers had been, but he tried to relax, focusing on the feel of Viktor’s hands on his hips and the words tumbling from his mouth that Yuuri couldn’t quite hear.

He met his eyes as Viktor eased more of himself inside, slowly, slowly, until he was in all the way. Yuuri was breathing deeply, trying to relax around Viktor, trying to focus on the pleasurable feeling of being full than the fading pain of the stretch.

Once Yuuri deemed it bearable, he nodded to Viktor, who began to make small, experimental thrusts into Yuuri from where he was deep inside of him. The little thrusts became bigger as Viktor grew more confident, gazing at the place where they were connected, transfixed.

It was too quiet. Neither of them were speaking. Only the sounds of skin against skin and heavy breathing filled up the room. Yuuri longed to hear a voice, any voice, so he spoke up.

“Viktor, can you, um, talk?” He said, meeting Viktor’s eyes.

“Anything for you, _solnishko_.” He said, and then things got much more intense. “It feels so good inside of you, Yuuri. So warm and wet and tight. Do you like me inside of you?"

He began to stroke Yuuri’s cock, matching his own steady pace.

“Yes, Viktor. Can you, um, faster?” Yuuri said, covering his face, still embarrassed.

“Oh Yuuri, there’s no need to hide yourself. I’d do anything for you. I’m showing you how much I love you.” Viktor’s voice had deepened in want as his hips moved forward at a quicker pace.

Yuuri found his moans leaving him more freely then, the pleasure of friction, the sweet drag of Viktor’s cock inside him starting to blur his senses.

He was too far away to kiss. “Come here. I wanna kiss you, Vitya” He saw the hint of a smile as Viktor brought his upper body forward between Yuuri’s legs to kiss him, changing the angle of his thrusts as he did.

He was much deeper now, hitting that same spot from before. Yuuri cried out into Viktor’s mouth, craving more and more. He felt his own fingernails drag lines down Viktor’s strong back, drawing out a moan from the Russian, who moved his head down slightly to nibble at Yuuri’s neck in retaliation.

Viktor’s thrusts were getting sloppier, still dragging over his prostate, but rhythm stuttering, Yuuri could tell that he was close to coming. Yuuri himself was almost there too, ready to come at any second.

He wrenched Viktor up by the hair, drawing out another grunt from the man. He spoke, in his ear. “I’m so close, Vitya. Come inside of me?”

The groan Viktor gave at that was louder than his previous ones, and Yuuri felt his hips jerk once, twice before he was spilling himself inside of Yuuri. The heat spreading inside of him was enough to send Yuuri off the edge too, spending in between their stomachs with a loud cry of Viktor’s name.

Viktor flopped on top of him for a few moments, until Yuuri choked out, “Heavy!” shoving Viktor to the side of him with an audible “oof,” from the Russian.

Viktor pulled him close anyway, not caring that they were both sticky from Yuuri’s come, nuzzling his hair as they both tried to catch their breath.

“That was fantastic.” Yuuri said, preening from Viktor’s kisses on the crown of his head.

Viktor hummed in agreement. “It was.”

Yuuri pulled back, becoming aware of the come beginning to trail down his thighs as he looked Viktor in the eyes. “Did you hear me before, when I said I loved you too?”

Viktor smiled. “Yes, but I’m not opposed to hearing it again and again and--”

“I love you, Viktor.” Yuuri kissed him on the cheek, innocent after what they had been doing.

“ _Ya tebya lyublyu,_ Yuuri.”

…

The second he came back to his room after washing up the result of his and Viktor’s first time, Phichit was on him like a werewolf on the moon.

“You had sex with him!” He stage-whispered, flitting around the room like a moth before landing on front of Yuuri.

“H-how did you know that?” Yuuri was past denying it.

“I can just tell. It’s intuition. So?” He raised an eyebrow.

“It was good, okay. It was perfect.” Yuuri smiled, probably looking dopey.

Phichit smiled wide, hugging Yuuri. “I’m really happy for you, Yuuri. I mean, I was worried because I knew how much you idolized him, but it seems like you’re good for each other.”

Yuuri smiled. “Yeah, we are.”

…

Yuuri’s anxiety didn’t magically go away. If only it were that easy. But, now that Viktor knew about it, he would become another set of ears for Yuuri to rationalize with. As dramatic as he could be, Viktor was a good listener when he cared, and Yuuri realized a little bit more every day, that Viktor really cared about him.

Spring Break came and went, and most of them remained at Hogwarts, busy studying for N.E.W.T.s or taking classes. Yuuri and Viktor, and a couple of their Quidditch playing friends took the time off to practice flying.

It felt good being on a broom again, pulling maneuvers and moves he had used to win games before. Viktor even helped him refine some aspects of his technique, calling himself “Coach Viktor” for the week, making Mila and Yurio laugh by mocking Yakov Feltsman.

The break came and went, and school was back in session, and Yuuri was reminded that there were only two weeks until the final trial, where one person would win the Triwizard Tournament.

There was no clue for the Third Trial. Nothing to plan, nothing to think about.

It still kept Yuuri up most nights.

…

It turned out that the Final Trial would take place mostly in their minds. The coordinators didn’t say much, but since Viktor was in first place, he would be the first to drink a potion, which appeared black with shining flakes of silver in it. Yuuri had never seen anything like it.

Yuuri and Sara would follow five minutes later, because they were tied for second. Apparently, when they were done with their Third Task, they would wake up 100 feet away from the trophy--whoever grabbed it first would win.

Yuuri saw the light leave Viktor’s eyes as he drank the potion. His body grew limp in the chair.

He almost went to him, when McGonagall warned him not to move. The trial had started, of course.

He panicked for a few minutes before the potion was put in front of his mouth. He drank.

He felt his body losing consciousness, and when he woke up, he was by the ocean.

“This is your happy place,” A wizard who Yuuri didn't recognize said. Yuuri recognized it as the beach in Hasetsu, where he grew up. The man continued:

“I need you to think before you speak here. You cannot lie to me. Your words here have consequences.”

Yuuri remained silent.

“I’ll start easy. What is your greatest aspiration?”

Yuuri thought. “To be a professional Quidditch player.”

“Correct. Who is your best friend?”

“Phichit Chulanont.”

“Correct. Harder Questions. Have you ever resented your family?”

Yuuri swallowed. “Yes.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“When we moved away from Japan, I hated them. I had a hard time adjusting.” It was true. Yuuri felt guilty for feeling that way, but he didn’t feel that way anymore; England had become their home.

“If you had to die to save another person, would you?” Yuuri thought long about this one.

“It-it depends on who it is.”

The man sighed. I suppose that’s fair. Well, who do you love?”

Yuuri felt the man’s gaze upon him. “Viktor Nikiforov.” He said, firmly.

“If you had to die to save Viktor Nikiforov, would you?”

“Yes!” Yuuri said, without thinking.

The man smiled. The location changed then, from Hasetsu to a meadow filled with flowers. At a small table sat Viktor.

“Well, since you both answered yes to my question, I’ll let you figure it out.” The man grabbed two goblets and filled one with water, and one with a black potion.

“This is water. This is poison. Drink one. See who’s more willing to die for who.” He disappeared.

“Viktor, is that really you?” Yuuri asked, tentative.

“Yes, Yuuri.” His fingers made a beeline for the black poison.

“What are you doing!?” Yuuri yelled, slamming the Goblet back down.

Viktor shrugged. “I want you to drink the water. I want you to move on and win the Tournament.”

Yuuri grabbed his hand. “I can’t let you do that. What if it’s really poison in there?”

“Then I’ll die, but at least you’ll be the last thing I see.” He smiled.

“Now is no time to be cheesy, Viktor.” He grabbed the poison goblet and poured it into the water, swirled the cup, and put half back in the empty goblet.

“At least, if we die, it’s together?” Yuuri said, as Viktor looked at him in horror.

“Now who’s being cheesy, stupid.” Viktor said, as he picked up a goblet.

“Bottoms up.” Yuuri said, cup clinking with Viktor before he brought it to his lips. Just before the liquid touched his mouth, he began to wake up.

…

It was too bright on the Quidditch Pitch, he was flat on his back and the sun was in his eyes. He stood up then, feeling wobbly, like he drank too much firewhiskey. His vision finally focused, and he realized that, 100 feet ahead of him was the Trophy of the Triwizard Tournament.

Looking further, he also saw that standing behind it was Viktor Nikiforov.

He started running then, and Viktor started running, and they grew closer and closer until Viktor yelled “Together!” and they both grabbed a handle at the same time.

The trophy was a Portkey. It brought them both to a podium on the step painted with a golden “1”, and they were both declared winners in a rare tie.

Yuuri had won the Triwizard Tournament. And, by some strange twist of fate, Viktor did too.

…

They were celebrated wildly for the rest of the year. When it was time to graduate, Yuuri had to give a speech and Viktor was invited back from Durmstrang to speak as well. Yuuri walked through the same halls he had always walked through saying goodbye to the portraits and the ghosts before he left.

His parents met Viktor at graduation, scolded Yuuri for hiding the fact that he had a famous boyfriend, and immediately began to shower Viktor with affection.

He stayed with them in London for as long as he could before he was forced to go back to St. Petersburg to begin practicing for Team Russia, and for the St. Petersburg Snowy Owls.

Yuuri remained in London, beginning practice for Team England, as well as for Puddlemere United.

Yuuri often missed Viktor, and Viktor whined all the time about not being able to see Yuuri every day, but, honestly, floo and apparition became easier every day, and the magic mirrors these days were making it easier and easier to see your loved ones.

And whenever the World Cup rolled around, they continued to be living legends. Because if you asked anyone, Katsuki Yuuri had:

-Won the Triwizard Tournament

-Gifted a Quick Quotes Quill to Phichit Chulanont, who went on to become the most famous reporter in the Wizarding World

-Ensnared the heart of the best Seeker in the sport of Quidditch.

-Got engaged to that Seeker, Viktor Nikiforov, on the back of a Hippogriff named Susan.

-Gave that Seeker a real run for his money at four different Quidditch World Cups

-Got married to Viktor Nikiforov after he finally caught the Golden Snitch instead of him, winning the match and the World Cup for England

And later, when they were both retired and could no longer fly like they used to, they lived in a flat in London with a poodle and an owl-turned-poodle, with the golden trophy of the Triwizard Tournament reminding them how they met sitting on top of their fireplace, along with about fifty different Quidditch trophies.

 

FIN.


End file.
